Building Capacity for Inclusive Informal STEM Learning Opportunities for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

在过去的二十年里，自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的患病率几乎增加了两倍，但要想更好地为这类人群服务，还有很多东西要学。在高中毕业后，大多数人都没有适当的支持或成功所需的必要技能，只能在世界上航行。在非正式科学机构（ISI）工作的教育工作者可以更好地促进社会互动和参与ASD患者的STEM教育。一个学习环境，学习者选择符合他们个人兴趣的内容，学习可以是多方面的（口头，动手，快或慢，社会或孤独，定向或基于探究，物理等）。与自闭症干预的循证、结果驱动方法的中心原则一致。ISI教育工作者有愿望，但可能没有足够和及时的知识和技能来吸引和支持这些受众。目前，许多人正在地方一级为ASD患者制定新的计划和方法，几乎没有评估或研究，也没有建立在彼此的工作基础上。该项目将开发一个严格的定制专业学习经验，旨在提高广泛的ASD支持技术和战略的能力。其目标是根据当前和新兴的有希望的做法，为ASD患者提供更具包容性的机会。该项目的行动理论是，ASD患者参与传统主流体验的能力将提高他们寻求其他类似机会的动机，建立人际交往技能，这对社会，正规教育和职业的成功互动至关重要。反过来，这将帮助ASD患者获得在学术和专业上追求STEM所需的技能和信心。该项目是学习创新研究所，科技研究所和西南自闭症研究资源中心（SARRC）之间的合作。该项目由高级非正式STEM学习计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。试点的主要研究问题是：（1）专业学习计划在多大程度上支持非正式科学教育提供者的知识，意识，兴趣，技能，态度和行为改变的学习成果？（2）教育工作者认为该计划的哪些特征对提高他们为这一受众服务的能力最有效？四个亚利桑那州的ISI将参与一项基于研究的设计研究;他们的工作人员还将包括一个实践社区的创始成员，该社区旨在分享有前途的做法，并促进非正式科学教育社区的更广泛参与。专业发展（PD）将由SARRC提供。新的形成性评价技能将支持持续的创新和建设参与者的能力。利用这种培训，ISI将创建和测试新的方法和计划，在形成性评估中应用新技能，并开发内部工作场所计划，以创建ASD理解的文化。一项试点研究将招募20名不同的ASD患者，他们将在PD之前和之后访问每个机构。该研究将衡量PD影响与会者体验的程度，并评估由于他们的访问而发生的科学学习。该项目将促进ASD专家和ISI教育工作者之间的合作，以迭代方式开发有效的博物馆学习策略。这项工作的其他目标是提供重要的见解（一）在ISI场馆全国无障碍项目的现状，（B）如何PD可以被利用，以帮助机构达到真正的包容性，和（c）初步的证据为基础的方法，在主流的非正式环境中的自闭症谱系的个人。除了研究结果，交付成果包括ASD PD模型，当前支持ASD学习和参与的实践和计划的国家清单，以及实践社区的建立。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Over the past two decades the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has nearly tripled and yet there is much to learn about serving this audience well. After high school exit, most are left to navigate the world without appropriate support or the requisite skills necessary for success. Educators working in informal science institutions (ISI) can better promote both social interaction and engagement in STEM education for individuals with ASD. A learning environment in which the learner chooses content aligned with their personal interests and where learning can be multifaceted (verbal, hands-on, fast or slow, social or solitary, directed or inquiry based, physical, etc.) is consistent with the central tenets of an evidence-based, outcome-driven approach for autism intervention. ISI educators have the desire but may not have sufficient and timely knowledge and skills to engage and support this audience. Currently, many are working at the local level to develop new programs and approaches for patrons with ASD, with little evaluation or research and not building on each other’s work. The project will develop a rigorous customized professional learning experience designed to enhance capacity of ISIs broadly in ASD support techniques and strategies. The goal is to enable more inclusive opportunities for people with ASD based on current and emerging promising practices. The project’s theory of action is that the ability of people with ASD to participate in traditional, mainstream experiences will improve their motivation to seek other similar opportunities, build interpersonal skills critical to successful interaction in society, formal education, and careers. This, in turn, will help individuals with ASD gain the skills and confidence needed to pursue STEM academically and professionally. The project is a collaboration between the Institute for Learning Innovation, the SciTech Institute, and the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). This project is funded by the Advanced Informal STEM Learning program which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. The pilot’s main research questions are: (1) To what degree does the professional learning program support the learning outcomes in knowledge, awareness, interest, skills, attitude, and behavior change in informal science education providers? and (2) What features of the program do educators consider most effective for improving their ability to serve this audience? Four Arizona ISIs will participate in a research-based design study; their staff will also comprise the founding members of a Community of Practice aimed at sharing promising practices and promoting broader engagement among the informal science education community. The professional development (PD) will be provided by SARRC. New formative evaluation skills will support ongoing innovation and build participant capacity. Leveraging this training, the ISIs will create and test new approaches and programs, apply new skills in formative evaluation, and develop internal workplace programs to create cultures of ASD understanding. A pilot research study will recruit 20 diverse individuals with ASD who will visit each institution prior to and after the PD for staff. The research will measure the degree to which the PD impacts attendee experience as well as assess the science learning that occurred because of their visit. This project will advance collaboration between ASD experts and ISI educators to iteratively develop effective museum learning strategies. Other goals of this work are to provide important insights into (a) the current state of accessibility programs in ISI venues nationally, (b) how PD can be leveraged to help institutions reach true inclusion, and (c) initial evidenced-based approaches for inclusion of individuals on the Autism spectrum in mainstream informal environments. In addition to the research findings, deliverables include an ASD PD model, national inventory of current practices and programs that support ASD learning and participation, and the establishment of a Community of Practice.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.